Getting in Good With the Locals (TAaP-verse)
by Earendil Eldar
Summary: Jack and Ianto get a visit from their local welcoming committee.


Ianto checked his watch when he heard the chimes, wondering why the clock in the hall was suddenly 7 minutes and 28 seconds fast. Then he realized that was doorbell. He definitely needed to change the door's chime. Far too confusing.

The fact that there was someone at the door was rather surprising in itself. They didn't exactly get many unexpected callers. Pulling off the dish gloves, Ianto washed his hands and headed to the door, remembering to slip out of his apron at the last moment.

"Hello," Ianto said politely to the two smiling strangers on the doorstep, unaccountably glad they weren't old acquaintances from the Cardiff sewers popping in for a visit.

"Good afternoon, sir. My name is Anna and this is Marjorie. We're from the local WI. We realise it's a bit of an oversight on our part, but we've only recently become aware that you are new to the area and we wanted to call round to welcome you."

Ianto couldn't help smiling. He'd genuinely thought WI ladies only brought welcoming hampers to new people in countryside murder-mysteries. "Thank you, that's very thoughtful," Ianto said, accepting the hamper from Marjorie. "Oh, forgive my manners, I'm -"

"Ianto? Who's at the door?"

Ianto fought back an eye-roll. Never mind _his_ manners! "Ianto Jones," he said, shifting the hamper to one arm and offering a handshake to the WI ladies.

"We understand you're likely quite busy, we won't take much time. If Mrs. Jones might be available… otherwise we can call back at a better time?"

"Oh… there's not a missus, actually. Um, it's just -"

"Yan? Oh. Good afternoon, ladies."

"Just us…."

"What can we do for you?" Jack asked, leaning against the doorframe with a grin.

Ianto's eye-roll was barely perceptible. "Jack, this is Anna and Marjorie from our local WI. Ladies, may I present Captain Jack Harkness? My fiancé."

"Your…. Oh. Oh, indeed! We had no idea. Well, in any case, apologies again for the belated welcome, and… yes, welcome," Anna said, clearly not quite prepared for greeting a couple without a potential new recruit in the house.

"I… suppose if there's not a lady of the house to invite to the committee, we can just simply extend an invitation to you gentlemen for the fete next month," Marjorie said, getting back to the 'script' as smoothly as possible.

Jack's grin had started to stiffen ever-so-slightly, but warmed up again with the invitation. "We'd be happy to attend. Uh, we would, right?"

"Don't see why not," Ianto confirmed.

"Anything we can do to pitch in?" Jack asked. "Tents need erecting?"

Ianto flickered a glare at Jack that went unnoticed. Captain of the Innuendo Squad, indeed.

"Well, no, really. We seem to have set-up and take-down fairly well sorted this season," Anna said, apologetically.

"We had rather been hoping for a bit of help in the tea tent, really, but -"

"We can do that," Jack offered immediately. "Coffee, tea… lemonade? Sandwiches, sweets? Oh yeah, nothing we couldn't manage. Ianto made this blueberry bread pudding last weekend… with the cream, you know? I coulda lived on that all week!"

Ianto forced back a cringe. Jack didn't even realise what a stereotype he sounded like sometimes.

Anna and Marjorie glanced at one another briefly. "So few people bake at home at all anymore," Marjorie said. "It gets harder every year to find anyone to do sweets and cakes. Most who do just put something from Tesco in a Tupperware and call it homemade."

Anna fished in her bag for a moment and handed Jack a flyer. "Perhaps you gentlemen can attend our next meeting? We'll be working out some of the logistics, like how many people we expect to serve and such."

"And I imagine we'll need a bit more than usual, if that bread pudding is as good as you say," Marjorie grinned.

"Certainly," Ianto said, peeking at the date on the flyer.

"Well, then. Thank you, gentlemen. We'll see you next week!"

Jack waved as they watched the WI ladies heading back down the path to their car. "I think they liked us," he said cheerfully.

" _You're_ doing half the baking!" Ianto said sternly.

"And you're doing half the serving," Jack winked. "The poor guy running the coconut shy isn't going to get any business with everybody flocking to the tea tent for your attention."


End file.
